Last.



PATENTED MAR. 22, '1-904- A. GQPITZ.

' LAST.

APPLICATION rnnn mm: a9, 1900.

H0 MODEL.

r v f n E U m UNITED STATES Patented March 22, 1904.

AMOS G. FITZ, OF AUBURN, MAINE.

LAST.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 755,288, dated Iffiarcl. 2 2, 1904.

Application filed June 29, 1900. Serial No. 22,027. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AMosG. FITz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Auburn, in the county of Androscoggin and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lasts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will 7 enable others skilled in the art to which it ap sectional view of the same. .tom plan Viewshowing the angular line of pertains to make and usethe same.

Mylinvention relates to improvements in lasts, and more particularly to transversely-divided lasts wherein one part is adapted to have movement relatively to the other for the purpose of shortening the last to enable it to be more easily inserted in and re'moved'from the shoe.

My invention relates also to a new and improved method of dividing the last, whereby any tendency to lateral movement of one part relatively to the other is prevented.

My invention also relates to certaindetails of construction which are incidental to or contribute to the main purpose, all of which will be hereinafter more particularly described and specifically claimed.

In the drawings I have illustrated my invention as applied both to link and hinge connections. 1

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan View of my invention as embodied in a link connection. Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal Fig. 3 is a bottransverse division. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of my invention embodied in a hinged last, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the hinge connection shown in Fig. &.

Same letters of reference refer to like parts.

To construct a divided last having link con-v nection with my improvement applied'thereto, I divide the last transversely into the parts A I and B by lines of out which leave an open space X at the top. In the fore and heel parts at adjacent points I make vertically-disposed sockets C'and D, respectively, adapted to register. In said sockets the endsof link E are anchored, one or both ends being pivoted. Adapted to be carried by said link at a suitof the bar.

supporting-bar.

able point intermediatebetween the anchorpoints is a transverse bar F, the ends of which extend beyond the sides of the link and when the two parts of the last are in their normal relation seat upon the wood of the last at a point in the line of division and at or near the bottom of said open space A circular 'form of said bar is desirable; but I do not limit'myself to any cross-sectional form of said bar. If the bar is circular, it should be provided with a circular seat, as seen at G in Fig. 2. The. seat for said bar is partly on one side and partly on the other side'of the division-line in order to give the greatest sustaining force to both parts, one on the other; but it may, if desired, be wholly on one side of said line. As shown, the heel part is pivotally secured to the link, but, if desired, it may be rigidly secured to the link. When pivotally connected,

a portion of the heel part adjacent to the bar F may be removed, as seen at H, to permit a limited movement ofthe heel relative to the "baras the heel turns on the pivot I in the link, theextent of said movement being measured by the portion ofthe heel'removed and being limited by the overhanging portion H" formed in the heel by the removal of said portion, as aforesaid. If the bar is of less extent than the width of the last, a thin shell of wood B may extend over all'of the end of the space H, except a hole equal to the area of the end heel part to have a pivot movement on pivot shape and size, one form being shown in Fig.

1, consisting of a single bar of metal wider in vertical cross-section than the diameterof the The transverse supporting-bar tends to prevent the lateral twisting of'one part relative to'the other. The V-shaped transverse line of division S (shown in Fig. 3) likewisetends to prevent lateral twisting of tive to the other.

The operation of my improved last'when embodied in alink is evident from the description already given of the construction of the one part'rela- 8o This construction permits the,

parts taken in connection with Fig. 2, the dotted lines showing the position of the several parts in the shortened relation of the last. It will be further evident that the heel part when being removed from the shoe will first turn on the pivot in the heel part a distance limited by the extent of the open space H. The body of the last above said open space prevents the further turning of the heel part on the pivot in the heel part. The pivot-point then changes to the fore part. The first movement gives a quick easy departure of the back of the heel from the shoe; but because the upper above the counter sets forward it does not carry the last high enough to give a good clearance. This I get by the second movementto wit, on the pivot in the fore part. This is especially effective when the pivot in the heel part is located lower than that in the fore part. Other means of limiting the movement of the heel on the heel-pivot may be used, and any last divided and united by a union which enables the heel part to have two distinct pivot-points acting one after the other is within the scope and spirit of my invention.

To construct a last with a hinged connection and with my improvements applied thereto, I first bore a transverse hole K at the point where it is desired to locate the pintle of the hinge, said hole being in diameter equal to the diameter of the proposed pintle. The last is then divided transversely by lines of out which leave an open space X above said hole, thence passing through said hole in a substantially central direction and through the remainder of the last to the bottom. In the adjacent walls of the two parts of the last are made vertical sockets, as before, in which are anchored the leaves L and M of the hinge. The hinge may be constructed in any convenient form, provided it is adapted to carry a transverse pintle or bar F, extending beyond the walls of the leaves of the hinge at either side. One leaf of the hinge is anchored in the fore part by a pin N, passing through the body of the last and through said leaf, and the other leaf'is anchored in the heel part by an anchor-pin O, passing through the body of the last and said leaf. the two leaves turn on the pintle or bar when the heel part is turned relative to the fore part and the bar does not rise from its seat.

Below the bottom of the open space the line of division instead of being a straight perpendicular line may be broken, as seen at P in Fig. 2, and instead of extending in a straight transverse direction may be V-shaped, as seen at S in Fig. 3. These irregular lines of cut, combined and cooperating with the union, serve to prevent vertical and lateral displacement.

Any convenient means may be employed to lock the two parts of the last against accidental collapse due to endwise pressure, as for example, in the case of a link, by locating the In the case of a hinge pivot in the heel part nearer the bottom of the last than that in the fore part, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and in the case of a hinge by means of a locking-bar T, inserted in ahole U, com- 'mon to both members of the hinge.

Having thus described my invention and its use, 1 claim v 1. A last divided transversely by lines of cut forming an open space at the top and abutting surfaces below said open space, a union having one end pivotally anchored in the fore part and the other end pivotally anchored in the heel part whereby one part may have a swinging motion relative to the other and a transverse supportingbar carried by said union, the ends of which extend beyond the sides of the union and are adapted to rest upon the bottom of said open space partly on the fore part and partly on the heel part.

2. A last divided transversely by lines of cut forming an open space at the top and abutting surfaces below said open space and a link connection, one end pivotally mounted in the fore part and the other in the heel part whereby one part may have a swinging motion relative to the other, said link carrying a transverse bar, the ends of which extend'beyond the sides thereof and are adapted, .when in normal position, to rest upon the wood at the bottom of said open space, and to rise in said open space when one part of said last is turned relative to the other.

8. A last divided transversely by lines of cut forming an open space extending downwardly from the top into the body of the last and abutting surfaces below said open space, said abutting surfaces being V-shaped in horizontal transverse section, and a union pivotally connecting the two parts, whereby one part may have a swinging motion relative to the other for shortening the last.

4. A last divided transversely by lines of cut forming an open space at the top and abutting surfaces below said open space, a link connecting the two parts, the ends of the link being pivotally mounted in the fore and heel parts respectively, means for limiting the turning of the heel part on the pivot in the heel part, whereby the heel part has two pivot movements, one on the pivot in the heel part as a center, the other on the pivot in the fore part as a center, and means for locking said parts in their normal relation.

5. A last divided transversely by lines of cut forming an open space at the top and abutting surfaces below said opcn space, a link connecting the two parts, the ends of the link being pivotally mounted in the. fore part and heel part respectively and means for limiting the turning of the heel part on the pivot in the heel part, whereby the heel part has two pivot movements, first on the pivot in the heel part asa center and then on the pivot in the fore part as a center.

6. A last divided transversely by lines of IIO out which form a gap extending into it from when onepart of the last is turned relative to the top and abutting surfaces below said gap, the other. said parts being provided with a union having In testimony whereofI affix my signature, in its ends pivotally mounted, one in the fore presence oftwo witnesses,thi s 23dday ofJune, 5 part and the other in thehheeldpalt, ailndhcar- 1900.

rying a transverse bar, t e en s o w ic extend beyond the sides of the union and rest 1 AMOS FITZ' upon the wood of the last at the bottom of Witnesses: said gap when the parts of the last are in nor- EDNA L. DREW,

IO mal position, whereby said bar leaves its seat GRACE E. FITZ. 

